September 27, 2002	Friday	Rajab 19, 1423

PESHAWAR, Sept 26: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain has said that successful financial policies adopted by the NWFP government have enabled it to launch massive development projects throughout the province.

He said at the time when he took over the office the province had only Rs200 million, whereas in July this year there was a saving of Rs8 billion, out of which Rs6 billion had been utilized on debt-servicing while Rs2 billion were being spent on the development of education and health sectors.

Speaking at the annual dinner of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry as chief guest here on Wednesday night, he said: “We have succeeded in overcoming financial crisis to a great extent and implementation on development schemes is one of the visible proofs of the present government’s achievements.

The year 2000, the governor said, was very difficult because there were no financial resources left for the development activities. Therefore, the provincial government launched effective strategies to restructure the government organizations, which helped in decreasing the non-developmental expenditures, he added.

As far as the promotion of private sectors is concerned, the governor said, the government was fully realized to the matter that to carry out business should not be the concern of the government and in line with this principle, it has restricted its role to policy formulation, facilitation and regulation.

Iftikhar Hussain said almost 30 major projects were under implementation in Peshawar.

Describing the relationship between the government and the business community as most congenial, the governor said: “We fully support every justified stand of the industrialists and traders and would extend due cooperation to get their grievances resolved by the federal government.”

Responding to the demands presented on this occasion, the governor said the district government was already involved in the efforts to resolve the issues relating to custom duty and shifting of vegetable markets out of the city.

Iftikhar Hussain said the government was trying to capitalize its hydel potentials for the promotion of industrial sector, and the electricity to be produced through this way would be provided on actual cost basis to strengthen the industrial sector. Malakand-III and Pehur Hydel power Projects are being materialized in line with the said policy, he added.

The governor also assured that efforts would be made to resolve the difficulties being faced by the local traders with regard to the trade with Afghanistan.

Earlier, SCCI president Malik Zahid Hussain and former presidents Faiz Rasool and Ilyas Bilour appreciated the steps taken by the NWFP governor for the development of the province and assured full cooperation to the government in this regard.